Crowd nightmare haunts Beijing organisers

Crowd nightmare haunts Beijing organisers
Jul 30, 2008 13:08
guestGuestFifi	HONG KONG (AFP) - From spitting and booing to full-scale riots, Chinese fans loom as a potential public relations disaster for the Beijing Olympics. Organisers have spent millions of dollars on "civilising" their notoriously unruly spectators, fearing a repeat of rowdy scenes that regularly mar football and basketball matches here. "You cannot deny it -- the difficult area in staging a civilised Olympics rests in the quality of the people," senior Games organiser Zhang Faqiang told state media. Leaving nothing to chance, officials have organised lessons in cheering, queuing and sportsmanship for home spectators, many of whom have little experience of such events. But concern remains over possible flare-ups which would embarrass the hosts in front of a worldwide audience running into billions. In June, angry fans turned on the national football team during their 1-0 defeat to Qatar, booing, hurling bottles and fighting in the latest of a series of unseemly incidents. Back in 2004, hundreds of incensed supporters blockaded the Japanese team hotel in Beijing after their Asian Cup final victory over China, creating unwelcome headlines abroad. Similar trouble erupted during this year's East Asian Cup when the crowd jeered and threw rubbish at the Japanese team, who were also abused during the 2007 Women's World Cup in China. The chequered history prompted Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to urge Chinese fans, often resentful over Japan's invasion of the 1930s and 1940s, not to boo Olympic athletes from his country. "Many Chinese people may cheer only for Chinese athletes. That would be all right," Fukuda said in May, according to Japanese media. "But if they criticise opponent nations and do something like booing against them, it will provoke antipathy among people of these nations." Crowd behaviour has even caused concern among Chinese Olympians, particularly after unsporting scenes at the 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium. At an athletics event in May, fans ignored other competitors to focus almost exclusively on Liu Xiang, leaving the arena in droves after the star hurdler's race was over. "Some of them went to the stadium to watch Liu and some to see the stadium itself. But after Liu Xiang completed his performance a lot of them just left the stadium," said table tennis legend Deng Yaping. "Sometimes we Chinese pay disproportionate attention toward the gold-medal winners," she added. "The essence of sports spirit deserves more respect." While China will use a massive security presence to keep violence in check, enforcing notions of sportsmanship and fair play is not so easy. In a country with limited sporting culture, some spectators have little knowledge of what is and isn't acceptable at major events. Chinese fans regularly irritate players at the country's growing number of top golf tournaments by talking loudly and snapping pictures during shots. Visiting snooker players have similarly been startled by camera flashes, mobile ring-tones and even loud snoring coming from Chinese galleries. "It was a circus," complained one player after an event in Beijing. In 2005, China's basketball match against Puerto Rico erupted into chaos when fans hurled plastic bottles and yoghurt after a fight on-court, echoing scenes repeated regularly in the domestic league. The concern is such that specialised coaches have been running daily courses for firms here teaching workers about behaviour during the Games, including how and when to cheer. "We win, we cheer; you win, we boo -- that's not right," said Zhai Yue, a veteran sports journalist, at one of the sessions. Authorities have also been striving to improve public manners with a series of initiatives such as "Queuing Day," "Seat-Giving Day" on public transport and anti-spitting and littering campaigns. +++++ What do you think about these behaviours? Do you think they will not happen in the coming Olympics?

Jul 30, 2008 13:08

guestGuestFifi

HONG KONG (AFP) - From spitting and booing to full-scale riots, Chinese fans loom as a potential public relations disaster for the Beijing Olympics.

Organisers have spent millions of dollars on "civilising" their notoriously unruly spectators, fearing a repeat of rowdy scenes that regularly mar football and basketball matches here.

"You cannot deny it -- the difficult area in staging a civilised Olympics rests in the quality of the people," senior Games organiser Zhang Faqiang told state media.

Leaving nothing to chance, officials have organised lessons in cheering, queuing and sportsmanship for home spectators, many of whom have little experience of such events.

But concern remains over possible flare-ups which would embarrass the hosts in front of a worldwide audience running into billions.

In June, angry fans turned on the national football team during their 1-0 defeat to Qatar, booing, hurling bottles and fighting in the latest of a series of unseemly incidents.

Back in 2004, hundreds of incensed supporters blockaded the Japanese team hotel in Beijing after their Asian Cup final victory over China, creating unwelcome headlines abroad.

Similar trouble erupted during this year's East Asian Cup when the crowd jeered and threw rubbish at the Japanese team, who were also abused during the 2007 Women's World Cup in China.

The chequered history prompted Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda to urge Chinese fans, often resentful over Japan's invasion of the 1930s and 1940s, not to boo Olympic athletes from his country.

"Many Chinese people may cheer only for Chinese athletes. That would be all right," Fukuda said in May, according to Japanese media.

"But if they criticise opponent nations and do something like booing against them, it will provoke antipathy among people of these nations."

Crowd behaviour has even caused concern among Chinese Olympians, particularly after unsporting scenes at the 'Bird's Nest' Olympic Stadium.

At an athletics event in May, fans ignored other competitors to focus almost exclusively on Liu Xiang, leaving the arena in droves after the star hurdler's race was over.

"Some of them went to the stadium to watch Liu and some to see the stadium itself. But after Liu Xiang completed his performance a lot of them just left the stadium," said table tennis legend Deng Yaping.

"Sometimes we Chinese pay disproportionate attention toward the gold-medal winners," she added. "The essence of sports spirit deserves more respect."

While China will use a massive security presence to keep violence in check, enforcing notions of sportsmanship and fair play is not so easy.

In a country with limited sporting culture, some spectators have little knowledge of what is and isn't acceptable at major events.

Chinese fans regularly irritate players at the country's growing number of top golf tournaments by talking loudly and snapping pictures during shots.

Visiting snooker players have similarly been startled by camera flashes, mobile ring-tones and even loud snoring coming from Chinese galleries.

"It was a circus," complained one player after an event in Beijing.

In 2005, China's basketball match against Puerto Rico erupted into chaos when fans hurled plastic bottles and yoghurt after a fight on-court, echoing scenes repeated regularly in the domestic league.

The concern is such that specialised coaches have been running daily courses for firms here teaching workers about behaviour during the Games, including how and when to cheer.

"We win, we cheer; you win, we boo -- that's not right," said Zhai Yue, a veteran sports journalist, at one of the sessions.

Authorities have also been striving to improve public manners with a series of initiatives such as "Queuing Day," "Seat-Giving Day" on public transport and anti-spitting and littering campaigns.

+++++

What do you think about these behaviours? Do you think they will not happen in the coming Olympics?

Jul 30, 2008 20:29	#1
APAULT Points: Join Date: Mar 11, 2006 Status: Offline	The Olympic spectators are different from the regular fans of individual clubs. I will be very surprised if there are any serious incidents. It would be good if the home crowd can applaud visiting athletes as well as there own. China is very nationalistic, so it might be a bit hard at first, but I'm sure there will be warm support for all competitors.

Jul 30, 2008 20:40

SHESGOTTOBE
Points:
Join Date: Nov 23, 2007
Status: Offline

It would be a shame if those incidents happen when the whole world’s eyes is on China. I don’t have any idea how much the tickets are but I’d like to think that the spectators will not buy expensive tickets just to humiliate their country for everyone to see. It will just reinforce stereotypes.

Olympics is about sports and supposedly healthy competition, though I'm not sure how healthy it can be when you are trying to move heaven and earth just to win a freakin' metal. Here's hoping we can see true sportsmanship not just between the athletes but from the spectators as well. There's no way "One World, One Dream" can ever be projected if other nations' athletes are made to feel worthless.

Jul 30, 2008 22:56	#3
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	Well, I have to admit that Chinese fans have many things to learn and improve. China has done a good job to improve the spectators' manners. Beijing's Courtesy campaign is a good example. However, I also find that some foreign fans are not better than Chinese fans. You see, the notorious football hooligans in Europe have been known to the world.

Jul 31, 2008 02:38

DODGER
Points:
Join Date: Jul 15, 2007
Status: Offline

I think the article is a beat up.
Its reference to bad crowds relates to Football and Basketball, both of which have a reputation of bad crowd behavior.
English football fans, if they can be called that have the worst reputation in the world and for some reason or other have been aped by other fans around the world. It’s a rubbish game anyway IMO.
I’ve never seen bad behavior at any track and field meet that I have been to. It’s a completely different type of crowd, and usually more knowledgeable.
As to crowd bias the Yanks win hands down on that one every time.
As to home town advantage; make the most of it. It doesn’t come round that often.

If I was king of the world I’d ban national flags at event like this. The athletes aren’t there to win medals for you and me but for themselves.
I could go on about the Medal tally but my rants over.
Dodger.

Jul 31, 2008 20:58	#5
KATRINA Points: Join Date: Nov 29, 2004 Status: Offline	"It’s a rubbish game anyway IMO." Cough! Dodger, take care of yourself! Football, to be accurate, soccer is the most popular in the world and has millions of fans. Better not make them irritated.

Aug 1, 2008 00:22	#6
DODGER Points: Join Date: Jul 15, 2007 Status: Offline	“Cough! Dodger, take care of yourself! Football, to be accurate, soccer is the most popular in the world and has millions of fans. Better not make them irritated” Katrina, I was just being sarcastic. But to be pedantic it is Football played under association rules. Ask Alan what he calls it. He’s a mad fan. Dodger.

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